Potato digger



Nov. 2 6, 1929. R. c. ZUCKERMAN POTATO BIGGER Filed Aug. 16, 1926 IN V EN TOR. R. C Z zzclcerm an I ATTORNEY Patented Nov, 26, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OF aoscon o. 'zocxnnmm, or sroex'ron, csnmonnm :eo'ra'ro means,

Application filed August 16, 1926. Serial No. 129,858.

flattened and smoothed out. While the po-.

tatoes as dog are preferably immediately sacked before leaving the machine, by means of the sacking apparatus shown in my Patent No. 1,639,832, dated August 23, 1.927,.under certain conditions the use of this sacking'ap- ,paratus is not entirely feasible or is not desired. The potatoes as dug are instead allowed to drop onto the ground to the rear .of the machine to be then gathered by hand, as is now ordinarily done. i The digging mechanism, however, cuts up and loosens the dirt, rendering the ground surface behind the machine very uneven and lumpy. The potatoes falling onsuch surface are therefore apt to drop into the crevices in the dirt and become mingled with the c'lods so that ,1t is very hard to gather the potatoes quickly and separate the same from the clods. The dlsadvantages and inconvenience arising from this feature are particularly liad when the machine is workingin a light peaty soil which when loosened by the digger becomes 39 so light that the potatoes when they drop onto the same are very apt to bury themselves.

My improved apparatus, by pressing down and forming a smooth surface onto which the potatoes fall, avoids this burying of the po'- tatoes and enables the gatheringoperations to be greatly facilitated and speeded upflas will be evident. 5 i

40 docs a'simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

'These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fullyappe'ar by a perusal of the following specification and claims. 1

In the drawings similar characters of ref- ,erence indicate corresponding parts in the 5 several views:

A further object of the invention is to pro- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved apparatus, and I Fig. 2 is a rear end view of the same. i

' Referring now more particularly to the characters of referenceon thedrawings, the apparatus inits preferred form comprises a rigid side frame structure 1 of suitable character, adapted to be drawn along the ground ,by a tractor or other draft means. This frame is supported at its forward ends by transversely spaced wheels 2 and at its rear 'end by a single very wide faced wheel or roll-' er 3, which extends the full distance between the side frames. l I

Pivoted onto the frame structure at its rear end and above the roller 3 are forwardly and downwardly depending transversely spaced frames 4: on and between which is mounted anendless conveyor 5 of suitable form, which conveyor is narrower than the roller 3. This conveyor is of the open wire and slat type as shown in Figure 2, so that as the potatoes are carried from the digging element the loose dirt sifts or screens through the same. Mounted in connection with the frames 4 at their lower ends is a potato digging mechanism of suitable form such as prongs 6, adapted to enter the ground at an acute angle so as to raise the potatoes to thesurface with the forward movement of the machine. The 30 conveyor is so disposed as to pick up the potatoes as they are dug and convey them up over the roller 3 to the rear end of the machine, from which they drop to the ground to the rear of said roller. The front end of the con- 35 'veyor and digging unit may be raised and lowered as desired by any suitable means such as a lever 7 pivoted on the frame structure 1 and operatively connected to said conveyor adjacent its forward end by suitable linkage so as at 8. The conveyor is driven in the proper direction by any desired means such for in stance as a small gas engine 9 mounted on the main structure above the conveyor.

When the machine is moving forward and the digging mechanism is engaged w: h the ground, said ground rearwardly of the dig- .lar condition, as illustrated at 10, 0 else, if

ger is naturally left in a very loose apZ/n'regw, the land is of a very light nature, w/

' e possiloo dition as to offer very little support for the potatoes dropping thereon and said potatoes sometimes embed themselves in the loose dirt. The roller 3 passing over such rough or loose surface and having a tread surface wider than the disturbed ground, the latter is packed down and smoothed out, as indicated at 11, so that a relatively hard and level surface is. then provided onto which the potatoes from the upper rear end of the conveyor drop. The potatoes are thus left cleanly on top of the ground instead of being mixed'with clods or partially embedded in the loose dirt, and the subsequent gathering operations are greatly facilitated.

Though I have shown and described a certain specific arrangement of the parts of the device as a whole, it is to be distinctly understood that the wide faced roller 3 disposed as stated relative to the other parts is the vital and important feature; and the type of digging mechanism and conveyor, the means for driving and controlling the latter, as well as the other features and arrangement of the parts, are capable of being altered to any extent desired without affecting the functioning-and operation of the roller in the slightest degree.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device' as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined'by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A potato digger includinga Wheel mounted frame, a roller mounted on the frame to bear against the ground to flatten and smooth the same, a digging element carried by the frame a considerable distance ahead of the roller, and an intermediate conveyor adapted to convey the potatoes from the dig-v ging element and discharge them over the maaeeo onto the ground rearwardl of the roller, said roller being wider than t e conveyor at its rear end to insure the potatoes dropping onto a' smooth and flattened ground surface, the conveyor having openings therein whereby the loose dirt gathered with the potatoes will sift therethrough and drop onto the ground in front of the roller.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature,

ROSCOE C. ZUGKERMAN.

ro-ller onto the smooth ground behind the same, the conveyor having openings therein whereby the loose dirt gathered with the po.-

tatoes will sift therethrough prior to the potatoes being discharged over the roller.

2. A potato harvester comprising a frame structure to be moved along the ground, a digging mechanism to engage the ground and raise the potatoes therefrom, a roller wider than the digging mechanism supporting the frame rearwardly of said mechanism, and a conveyor for raising the potatoes from the digging mechanism, mounted on the frame and extending rearwardly over the roller to enable the potatoes after being raised to drop 

